Saturday, October 31, 2015

Just one last post before Halloween 2015 is dead and buried. First, I want to thank everyone who stopped by this month and checked out all of our Halloween posts. Thanks for the comments, likes, retweets and lurks! I hope you enjoyed it.

This was the last Neato Ghoulville Halloween countdown. After ten Halloween countdowns filled with 500+ blog posts, I believe it's time to end the madness. It's been fun transforming this blog each year, but it's time to permanently bury Neato Ghoulville. Next year, I'll still post some things to celebrate the orange & black season...just not everyday.

For fun, here's a look back at some Neato Ghoulville banners and creations I made for the blog during the ten countdowns.

Wishing everyone a neato cool Halloween! Enjoy all the fiendish fun on this holiday of imagination and mystery!

Earlier this month I found this whimsical antique Halloween treat box and I had to resist sharing it until today. It's amazing to think that someone, probably a child at the time, saved this wonderful and fragile piece that dates back to the 1920s. This box covered in orange and black crepe paper with the grinning Jack O'Lantern on top has many mysteries. What kind of candy was inside? What Halloween memory does this box represent? How did it survive all these years? Who was the original owner? The mystery just adds to the charm of this piece. That goofy grin just tells us that Jack knows something and he's not telling anyone...ever.

Friday, October 30, 2015

It's hard to believe that the Halloween countdown will soon be over. There were so many treats handed out across the world wide (spider)web. Be sure to visit the master list of countdown bloggers at the Countdown to Halloween site. For fun, I've listed a small sample size of some of the posts and Halloween related things that caught my eye this spooky holiday season. Enjoy!

Zombie Mouth Bubblegum - As a candy and monster fan, it's been exciting to watch and contribute to the beginning stages of the first ever crowdsourced bubblegum. It still has a long way to go before becoming a reality and you still have a few days to join the fun and be part of confectionary history.

The Lost Boys Virtual Trading Cards - I always enjoy seeing Shawn's "These Should Exist" virtual trading cards on his Branded in the 80's blog. He's created some neato cool looking cards based after various movie and TV show properties. His Lost Boys cards will make you wish they were at the 7-11 back in the day!

Halloween Web - Over at AEIOU...and Sometimes Why you can find a bunch of interviews of of Halloween bloggers. Excellent interviews and it's great opportunity to "get to know" some of the wizards behind the blog curtain.

Another season of Castle Vlad has come to an end. There's no need to be sad. Turn that fang frown upside down as you watch the annual outtakes and bloopers video!

Vlad has one more treat for you today an it's in the form of the last two Castle Vlad trading cards! New cards are coming soon so br sure to like the official Castle Vlad Facebook page so you can collect 'em all!

Hey, it's the Castleburger Dudes and they want to wish everyone a safe Halloween...or at least they did on the bottom of this plastic trick or treat bag from 1994. This was White Castle's kid's meal during the Halloween season of that year. What makes this kid's meal so special is that it included a mini-package of Halloween Oreos. Oreos began their Halloween tradition only three years earlier, so it's neat to see an example of one of their earlier Halloween packages.

Also, inside this 21 year old kid's meal is an Oreo bendy! Our bendy is proudly lifting up the Oreo Halloween Treats pack! Way to go Bendy Oreo! You are one strong Castleburger Dude!

Oh why, oh why did I not find this Ookla Halloween costume back when I was ten years old? That was my last year of trick or treating and I went as Darth Vader for the third year in a row. I wasn't even all that interested in going as I hit the "I'm too old for Halloween" blues. Things would have been different if I would have found this super-awesome-cool-to-the-max Ookla costume back in the day.

Back then I had no clue Ben Cooper made Halloween costumes based after my favorite Saturday morning cartoon Thundarr the Barbarian. It wasn't until about ten years ago when I found this one up for auction on ebay. I was fortunate to win the costume and add it to my Thundarr collection. Over at Plaid Stallions you can view this Ookla costume in the 1981 Ben Cooper catalog. (Scroll down to the second page.) Also on Plaid Stallions is a Canadian costume catalog showing a different Ookla costume along with Thundarr and Ariel costumes. Lords of light! I'd love to find those costumes!!! Also pictured in the same catalog is a Thundarr poncho!

Just look at that Ookla the Mok mask! Even with the off centered nose holes, it is a thing of beauty! Good old Ookla, the Chewbacca rip-off character that was named after UCLA. Why is he not UCLA's official mascot? I'll never know.

Okay, now I'm in the mood to watch some Thundarr. Grab a bowl of your favorite sugary sweet cereal and watch some episodes of Thundarr the Barbarian!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Last year I shared pics from Vlad's live stage show and finally today I get to share video highlights of the show. It certainly wasn't your typical local community theater performance! It was Vlad's second live show and it was a big success and lots of fun for kids and adults alike!

I recently picked up this 1963 coloring book featuring Kukla and Ollie and inside are two Halloween pages that I can share. I've been a fan of Kukla, Fran and Ollie since I was kid when I first discovered the show in the 1970s. Of course their origins go back many years before I discovered them.

After viewing the coloring pages here, go check out the fantastic official website, The Kuklapolitan!

Here's a clip from the TV show of Buelah the Witch singing that Old Black Magic.